


Friendship

by missm0neypenny



Category: The Town (2010)
Genre: Angst, Drinking, Female Friendship, Gen, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-23
Updated: 2013-06-23
Packaged: 2017-12-15 20:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/853783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missm0neypenny/pseuds/missm0neypenny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Their little reunions had become progressively more awkward "</p>
<p>Written in response to the LJ rennerobsession Pic-Fic Challenge from 6/21/13. This is a work of fiction inspired by a photograph.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friendship

When Brooke suggested they go into the dingy corner bar, Caroline thought she was crazy. She didn’t say “No” though because being disagreeable is so un-cute. Perching delicately on a wobbly stool next to her old college friend, she started a mental timer. She’d give this adventure in a Townie bar 10 minutes and then they would leave to find a nicer, cleaner, more normal place that offered a proper cocktail menu and boys with jobs, college degrees, and bank accounts. 

_Jesus, those mouth-breathers have probably never even set foot in a bank_ , Caroline thought, eyeing and rejecting the trio in the corner. The fat one. No. The pale skinny one. No. The runty one whose smile reminded her of a grinning pit bull. Definitely not. 

Seeing no bottles of the vanilla vodka she liked, Caroline ordered a rum and Diet Coke from the sweaty bartender. She nearly choked when Brooke ordered Jameson neat. _Whoa. Easy, girl._  

Honestly, she didn’t have much to talk about with Brooke now that they no longer shared a course schedule. Their little reunions had become progressively more awkward as they realized Brooke had seen none of the TV shows Caroline loves and Caroline wasn’t interested in going to a concert by any of the bands Brooke listens to. Caroline would have thought they would run out of things to say but Brooke was yammering on about her job. Something about feeling under-appreciated or there being no room for advancement? Something boring. 

As Brooke continued to bemoan her work situation, Caroline mentally cursed the fact that the only cute guy they’d seen all night – the dark haired one who nursed a soda with lime at the other end of the bar – was walking out with a skanky-looking blonde. The pit bull playfully shouted something obscene towards them and Ms. Tits-In-Your-Face flipped him off. _Lovely. Thanks a lot, Brooke. This is charming._  

Twenty long minutes after Caroline’s internal timer had buzzed, Brooke had ordered another Jameson and her work story had turned into some kind of crisis about the meaning of life or her purpose or something tedious like that. Caroline was focusing all her energy on praying that Brooke wouldn’t start crying. _Please, don’t be That Girl._  

The Townie guys were settling up with the bartender, the skinny one laying crisp bills on the sticky bar while the fat one lumbered off to the bathroom. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the pit bull coming over to them. _Great. Just to make this night even more perfect._  

He stepped close to Brooke. “Hey, sweetheart, I dunno what your problems are, but I promise things’ll start looking up as soon as you ditch your Tunie friend here.” 

_Ugh. As if_. Caroline snorted with derision, but Brooke just took another sip of whiskey before turning her head toward him and replying softly “You’re probably right.” 

Something he must have seen in Brooke’s face reined him in and he dropped his flirty attitude. After a quick glance at his buddies, he turned back with unexpectedly sad eyes. He placed his large hand on Brooke’s back. “You’re gonna be OK” he said, low but confident. Brooke pressed her lips together and nodded. Caroline sat, confused, feeling like she should be offended but not sure why. 

Without another word to the girls, the guys made a boisterous exit. Brooke pulled cash out of her pocket, and, with relief, Caroline vowed to herself _This is definitely the last time I’m getting together with her._

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and helpful feedback are appreciated!
> 
> I'm intimidated by writing about Jem which is why he's only on the periphery (and maybe a little OOC) here. 
> 
> For the good stuff, you should read [badcircuit](../users/badcircuit/pseuds/badcircuit)'s work!


End file.
